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Hong Kong Women Aim for Olympic Qualification in Tokyo

The Hong Kong Women’s Sevens squad departed today for Tokyo, Japan where they will play in this weekend’s second leg of Asia Rugby’s Olympic qualification tournament. At the end of which one women’s team from Asia will automatically qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro after the completion of the tournament on 29 November.

After winning this year’s opening Asia Rugby Women’s Sevens Series tournament in Qingdao China, what once looked like a goal for 2020 is now a real – albeit slim – possibility for the 2016 after Hong Kong finished third in the opening leg of the two-stage qualifier at the Hong Kong Stadium on 7-8 November.

The women’s seven finished that tournament with a four win and two loss record – with losses coming against the eventual finalists Japan and Kazakhstan – but dispatched pre-tournament favourites China twice, including a 12-7 win in the third place play-off.

The result leaves Hong Kong needing an outright win in Tokyo, but also dependent upon the two finalists from the first leg not reaching this weekend’s cup match.Should either opponent reach the final in Tokyo they will have done enough to book their ticket to Rio on overall points across the series.

If Hong Kong win in Tokyo and Japan and Kazakhstan fail to reach the final, tie-breakers will come into effect. First up will be the head-to-head results between the two tied teams across the two Olympic qualifier events. If three teams are tied at the end of play on Sunday, point differentials across the series will be the deciding factor.

Hong Kong must win and win well this weekend. The hometown heroes have the advantage of heading to Japan with an unchanged side including flying winner Aggie Poon Pak Yan, who has been the revelation of the series.

Poon again proved that she is the deadliest finisher in Asian women’s rugby, leading all players with eight tries in Hong Kong earlier this month. Those totals bring her remarkable season tally to 25 tries and 24 conversions over the qualifier and two Asian sevens events so far in 2015, for a combined 173 points.

Hong Kong will need Poon to be on song once again as the team looks to make an all-out push for a historic Olympic berth. Squad veterans in captain Christy Cheng Ka Chi, vice captain Natasha Olson-Thorne and Candy Cheng Tsz Ting will also need to peak at the opportune moment to give Hong Kong any chance of success.

The Tokyo qualifier will again see six teams competing in a single pool, round-robin competition. Hong Kong will face Japan, Kazakhstan, China, Sri Lanka and Guam. Hong Kong will open in Tokyo against Guam, whom they blanked 29-0 earlier this month but it is the last two matches on day one that will determine Hong Kong’s chances as they face Kazakhstan and Japan in the closing ties on Saturday. Both sides beat Hong Kong in the first qualifier, with Japan handing the hosts a 36-0 whitewash to end day one at the HK Stadium – that match coming on the heels of Hong Kong’s highly physical 5-0 victory over China.

Coach Anna Richards commented on the squad’s performance from the opening leg, saying, “We were up-and-down unfortunately, but we still have a mathematical chance. It will be a tough one and we must now win it all this weekend.”

In Tokyo, Hong Kong will need to take matters into their own hands and hand Japan and Kazakhstan early losses to prevent them from reaching the final. Hong Kong’s opening pool match on day two is against China in a potential trap game after Hong Kong gained the upper hand on China in recent tournaments.

China, perhaps the most disappointing performer after many expected them to be Asia’s representatives in Rio, will kick off the second leg against Japan in the first match in Tokyo, a tie that could help upset the formbook and set the stage for a weekend of hoped for surprises.
After looking imperious in the opening leg, Japan will enter the tournament as the heavy favourites particularly as they enjoy a rare opportunity to play in front of their home fans. Japan’s women’s sevens have never played an Asia Rugby tournament at home.

Led by the inspirational Chiharu Nakamura, Japan will be intent on joining their men’s counterparts, who secured the Olympic berth earlier this month after coming back from a 10-point first half deficit to beat Hong Kong 24-10 in the final, next year in Rio.

Hong Kong Squad for Olympic Qualifier – Japan Leg
Cheng Ka Chi Christy (Captain), Natasha Olson-Thorne (vice Captain), Amelie Seure, Cheng Tsz Ting, Chong Ka Yan, Kwong Sau Yan, Lai Pou Fan, Lindsay Varty, Nam Ka Man, Poon Pak Yan Aggie, Sham Wai Sum, Stephanie Cuvelier.

Women’s Rugby Results – 21 November, 2015

Premiership
Tai Po Dragons 0-20 Valley Black
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 16:30

CWB Phoenix 5-10 HKFC Ice
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 18:00

USRC Tigers 70-0 Kowloon
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 19:30

National 15s
HK Scottish 5-10 Valley Red
@ Shek Kip Mei, Kick-off: 16:30

Revolution SRC 7-12 City
@ Shek Kip Mei, Kick-off: 18:00

Police Sirens v HKFC Fire – postponed
@ Police Boundary Street, Kick-off: 18:00

USRC Tigers 5-48 HKCC
@ Kings Park, Kick-off: 18:00
HKCC Ladies: Joan Yip, Wawa Li, Jo Harvey, Izzy Rivers, Nobuko Oda, Carolyn Champion, Zoe Wong, Lynda Nazer, Ashley Brooks, Tinley Wong, Brenda Chan, Emma Chung, Tissia Polycarpe, Serene Yee, Diana Li
Substitutes: Mhairi McLaughlin, Charlotte Berry, Hoi Yi Li, Elane Lau, Angie Ng, Kassie Chapel, Margaret Chan.
Try: Ashley Brooks

CWB Pheasants 22-0 Tai Po Dragons
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 19:30

National 10s
Revolution SRC 19-17 Tin Shui Wai
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 16:30

HK Scottish 0-17 University Unicorns
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 17:15

City 25-17 DB Pirates
@ Tin Shui Wai, Kick-off: 18:00

Scotland to Tour Hong Kong!

Hong Kong confirmed to host first ever One Day Internationals as Scotland to tour in January 2016.

The Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) today announced that it will host Scotland’s men’s national team here in January 2016. The tour will feature the first ever One Day Internationals (ODIs) held on Hong Kong – or Chinese – soil.

The announcement was made after the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground (known as Mission Road) as an ODI venue, the first in East Asia. The ICC had sent two representatives a fortnight ago – including former Australian Test Cricketer and now ICC Match Referee David Boon – to inspect the LCSD-run facility, which will also host the city’s inaugural First Class and Twenty20 International (T20I) matches during the same tour.

HKCA CEO Tim Cutler commented on how important the approval is and also discussed other possible future international cricket events in Hong Kong. “The approval of Mission Road is a historic event for Hong Kong cricket and I would like to thank the HKCA staff and volunteers who worked on this project. Moreover, the assistance from the LCSD was amazing and this would not have been possible without their help, especially from Ms Ada Lau who oversee the ground’s management and Mr Cameron Hodgkins who heads up the Sports Turf Management Section”.

“It is fitting that the first nation to play ODI cricket against us here is Scotland. The Scots have long proud history in Hong Kong and we have already initiated discussions with various local Scottish community groups to ensure these matches are properly publicised and celebrated. We have some great ideas about how to make this a great event – a true festival of cricket – and we look forward to announcing more details soon.”

“I also think that the matches will actually be the highest (by world ranking) sporting event involving a Hong Kong team, ever hosted here. On the topic of grounds, we are continuing our discussions with the government and its appointed agents about accommodating cricket appropriately at the proposed Kai Tak Multi-Purpose Sports Complex. There is real opportunity here for us to develop a beacon here for cricket in East Asia whilst assisting the HKCA as it strives to be a leader for emerging cricket nations globally. There are numerous international cricket events that we could host in Hong Kong, with the right facilities.”

“With talk of cricket’s inclusion at the Olympics increasing, I think it is critical we do not overlook the opportunity to provide a world-class facility where we could also host women’s and under-age World Cup events. Twenty20 matches (or franchises) from the hugely successful Indian Premier League and Australian Big Bash Leagues are also an option. We could even provide a neutral test venue. All of these would generate immense global interest and the potential TV revenue alone makes this a very exciting prospect, along with the obvious exposure for Hong Kong itself.”

Cutler continued “Even in preliminary talks, the ICC is very excited about the prospect of Hong Kong being able to host such matches and we’ll ensure a direct line of communication is developed so that they can shed light on the potential with the government.”

Scotland’s tour in January will include the first class, four-day Intercontinental Cup match, two World Cricket League games which will hold full-ODI status and two Twenty20 Internationals. The two T20i ties are to be confirmed.

Hong Kong is currently 10th in the T20I rankings, and 16th in ODIs. Scotland are 12th and 14th in the respective tables.

After recent strong results in the UAE, Hong Kong could improve its ranking to 13th with wins over Scotland.

Proposed Tour Itinerary – Hong Kong v. Scotland
(All Matches at Mission Road, Tin Kwong Road, Kowloon District):

21 – 24 January: ICC Intercontinental Cup (Four-day, first class match)
26 & 28 January: ICC World Cricket League Championship (Fifty over, One Day Internationals)
30 & 31 January: Twenty20 Internationals

Women’s 15s Match Report: HKCC 5-18 CWB Pheasants – 14 November, 2015

A week’s break allowed the cuts, bruises and bumps of the previous matches to heal and made the HKCC Ladies even keener to play at their home ground Aberdeen against the Causeway Bay Pheasants in the 6th Round of the League.

The whistle blew and HKCC kicked off giving possession to the waiting Pheasants who immediately began to pound their way up the pitch. HKCC scrapped for the ball but the Pheasants furiously rucked maintaining possession and skillfully controlling the course of play. During the first ten minutes HKCC only handled the ball once and this was to kick off again after the Pheasants broke round the side of the defence and scored the first try of the match, 5-0.

Determined to take ownership of the game HKCC kicked off and instantly pressured the Pheasant’s defence. The two teams collided up and down the pitch but neither side looked set to score a try until a close opportunity came for HKCC’s number 8, Lynda Nazer. Awarded a scrum in the Pheasants’ 22 Nazer picked the ball up and pummeled her way up the pitch. But much to HKCC’s frustrations, Nazer, a footstep from the try line was barged into touch. Gaining the ball back the Pheasants kicked to clear their lines, putting HKCC’s fullback and winger under pressure, who only just managed to keep the Pheasant’s attack at bay.

The match continued with the two teams fighting for possession and precious ground. Foul play from HKCC led to a penalty that helped the Pheasants creep further up the pitch. Within minutes HKCC gave away another penalty this time in a threatening position, 5m from the try line. The Pheasants opted for a kick at goal, the ball sailed through the posts, padding CWB’s lead; 8-0.

The first half was drawing to a close but not before HKCC had one more stab at the Pheasant’s defence. Dominated by the HKCC forwards a maul formed and with gaining momentum they thundered towards the try line. With a few metres to go, quick as a flash HKCC’s Carolyn Champion broke from the maul with ball in hand. Once again HKCC were a footstep from the try line, but this time it was Champion who was mercilessly tackled into touch by a strong Pheasant defence. The score remained 8-0 to Pheasants and the whistle blew for half time.

After some rallying words from coach Alex Tarleton the whistle blew for the start of the second half. The Pheasants booted the ball straight into the arms of HKCC scrumhalf Emma Chung, who charged up the pitch. After some clashes in the center of the field a quick Pheasant turn over saw their attack bursting through HKCC defence. Weaving around the HKCC fullback the Pheasants looked close to scoring until Chung made a last ditch tackle, halting the attack. The Pheasants reset to strike again and this time succeeded, as their winger zipped round the side of the HKCC defence, 13-0.

HKCC kicked off and again the two sides fought to control the game. A great breakthrough came from HKCC’s centre Lucy Thomson, who hurtled through the Pheasant defence. But foul play by HKCC at the ruck gave the Pheasants a penalty and they wasted no time in using it to their advantage. HKCC were pushed back to their own try line fighting off another Pheasant attack. Nothing could stop the two Pheasant forwards who crashed over the try line for their third try of the match.

HKCC knew time was running out and they were determined to get some well-deserved points on the board. The HKCC forwards moved up together recycling the ball well until they were only meters from the try line. The Pheasants absorbed the hits well but they were unable to stop outside centre Tissia Polycarpe thundering over the try line, scoring the first and last HKCC points of the match.

After what seemed like a long and tiresome second half the whistle blew to end the match. Although a loss for the HKCC Ladies they are improving every week and look forward to their next match against Tigers this Saturday.

HKCC Woman of the Match: Emma Chung

HKCC 5-18 CWB Pheasants
HKCC Ladies: Joan Yip, Wawa Li, Jo Harvey, Lauren Petersen, Nobuko Oda, Brenda Chan, Cheryl Gourley, Lynda Nazer, Emma Chung, Tinley Wong, Serene Yee, Carolyn Champion, Tissia Polycarpe, Angie Ng, Steph Zhang
Substitutes: Lucy Thomson, Kassie Chapel, Charlotte Berry, Hoi Yi Li, Elane Lau, Mhairi McLoughlin.
Try: Tissia Polycarpe

Photo: Phoebe Leung

Hong Kong v China – Chinese Fans @ Mongkok Stadium, 17 November, 2015

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Hong-Kong-v-China-China-Fans/i-cB9Z4fG

For reasons known only to the police and Hong Kong Football Association the media were banned from taking photos of the Chinese fan’s section at Hong Kong v China World Cup qualifier. After multiple complaints a brief period of photography was allowed – before the area in-front of the Chinese fans was again at no-go zone from 7pm.
Here are some of the 500 Chinese fans who made the trip.
Click on any photo to access the full gallery.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Hong-Kong-v-China-China-Fans/i-hrNQjFb

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Hong-Kong-v-China-China-Fans/i-m2ZZmJM

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Hong-Kong-v-China-China-Fans/i-FbD6M7B

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Hong-Kong-v-China-China-Fans/i-KS8ZcdT

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Hong-Kong-v-China-China-Fans/i-zMSzPKL

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Hong-Kong-v-China-China-Fans/i-m9fNWDM

Hong Kong’s Bowlers Rout UAE to Secure Historic Win

Hong Kong’s bowlers routed the UAE to secure an historic first ICC Intercontinental Cup victory with Babar Hayat declared Man of the Match for his two match winning innings. The win earns Hong Kong maximum points and moves the team up to third in the competition.

Hong Kong secured their magnificent 276 run victory when opening bowlers Haseeb Amjad and Aizaz Khan ripped through the UAE top order, claiming five wickets in the first 15 balls of the day while conceding only one run to leave the host reeling on five for six in under six overs.

With the UAE needing 377 runs for victory on the fourth and final day, the day could not have started worse for the host. Haseeb was on a hat trick with the first three balls, stunning the hosts to dismiss dangermen Amjad Ali lbw (1) and Usman Mushtaq (0), before narrowly missing the key wicket of Swapnil Patil. However, Patil fell the following over to 22-year-old Aizaz, who struck twice to dismiss Swapnil (0) and opener Asif Iqbal (3).

When Haseeb‘s medium-fast pace struck again in the following over, the UAE were at risk of being humiliated, but the lower-order mounted a disciplined defence, until Nadeem Ahmed broke through in the 21st over to send Qais Farooq (26) back to the pavilion. Nadeem took the last four wickets of the day, including the only UAE player to hit a half century (Laxman Sreekumar (61) to finish with figures of four for 40 alongside Haseeb’s superb figures of four for 10. Aizaz finished with a tidy two for twenty.

The four-day, first class clash saw Hong Kong showcase its all-round talents, with centurions Babar Hayat and captain Tanwir Azal the second and fourth-highest run-scorers in the competition to date. Haseeb is now Hong Kong’s leading wicket taker in the tournament, with 10 wickets in two matches, and he is second only to Ireland’s George Dockrell overall.

Hong Kong coach Simon Cook was delighted with the convincing victory. “The game has pretty much gone to script as far as we are concerned. This was the icing on the cake, to do it so convincingly in the first session. We had discussed about how important the first hour was today, and that would really set up the day, and it proved so, with the UAE losing five wickets for one run in the space of about 15 balls. That really set us up.”

Captain Tanwir Afzal could not contain his happiness with the result. “It was an amazing victory, our fist ever win in a first class game. I am so happy that the guys all showed up and did really well.”

“It was an amazing start from the first ball, and then the second ball, and then the next over was also an amazing start. The guys stuck with the plan, so I don’t think we needed more than three bowlers after that.”

He said that his side had not felt pressure on the final day of the clash. “The bowlers were very relaxed. They didn’t have pressure because we know that it was a big total, that UAE couldn’t chase that. We had our plans in place but we stuck with the basic things, and the guys did a really good job.”

Man of the Match Babar Hayat said the historic victory has an unforgettable one. “It’s a great day for Hong Kong, beating the UAE in a first class game – it is a special day for Hong Kong and for the whole team. It’s a really special day for us.”

“I am really happy with my batting performance. I used to bat number five or six, but I talked to Simon Cook and he said you are going to move up. I’m really happy batting at this position and am really looking forward to the next few games here on the same pitch, and hopefully get some more runs.”

The sides now turn their minds to their upcoming World Cricket League Championship matches, with the two One-Day Internationals to be played on 16 and 18 November in Dubai.

Hong Kong won by 276 runs
Man of the Match: Babar Hayat
Hong Kong first innings 378 all out, 125.2 overs
Babar Hayat 113, Tanwir Afszal 104, Kinshit Shah 62;
Asif Iqbal 3-38, Raja Adeel 2-104, Ahmed Raza 2-103

UAE first innings 181 all out, 92.3 overs
Swapnil Patil 75, Usman Mushtaq 45;
Anshuman Rath 4-34, Tanwir Afzal 2-21, Nadeem Ahmed 2-47, Ehsan Nawaz 1-19, Aizaz Khan 1-30

Hong Kong second innings 184 all out, 51.3 overs
(Babar Hayat 73, Anshuman Rath 32, Jaimie Atkinson 30;
Ahmed Raza 5-61Nasir Aziz 4-90

UAE second innings 105 all out, 29.2 overs
L Sreekumar 61;
Haseeb Amjad 4-10, Nadeem Ahmed 4-40, Aizaz Khan 2-20

Hong Kong Set UAE 382 to Win

A strong all-round team performance saw Hong Kong strengthen it’s grip on the game as they lead UAE by 376 runs with one day remaining in the four day ICC Intercontinental Cup match in Dubai.

Sixteen wickets fell on day 3, as Hong Kong captured first innings honours and six points after restricting their hosts to a first innings total of 181, an innings deficit of 197. Debutant Anshuman Rath shone in the critical morning session as he ripped through the lower order, taking four scalps for 34 runs.

Hong Kong then added 184 runs in its second innings as they looked for quick runs to establish a match winning lead. With the last Hong Kong wicket falling late in the day, the UAE was forced to pad up and bat for three overs, seeing out the last 15 minutes without losing a wicket. The host will return tomorrow needing 377 more runs for victory.

The day swung on the crucial morning session, with UAE batsmen Usman Mushtaq (45) and Swapnil Patil (75) putting on a 139-run partnership before 18-year-old Anhsuman Rath snared the key wicket of Usman. The wicket proved fatal for the host, which lost their remaining four wickets for 48 runs, with Anshuman also snaring the prized scalp of Patil in his four-wicket haul.

Not to be outdone, UAE skipper Ahmed Raza took full advantage of the ball in the afternoon session, ripping through the Hong Kong innings to finish with figures of five for 61, the best bowling figures of a UAE bowler to date in the competition.

Hong Kong, clearly in a hurry to put runs on the board in its second innings, completing the innings in less than two sessions to finish on 184 runs all out. Babar Hayat again led with the bat, striking 73 to become Hong Kong’s leading run-scorer in the competition, while Anshuman contributed a quickfire 32.

Coach Simon Cook believed his team’s bowling was key to the day’s success. “I think the partnership that Anshuman had with Nadeem was excellent, it really ripped the heart out of their batting, and it came off the back of some great work from Ehsan and Aizaz and Haseeb and Tanwir as well.”

“We identified this morning would be a crucial period in the game, and it proved that. We really put the UAE batters under a lot of pressure. And the fact that we bowled the previous evening so tight meant that when those wickets did come, the UAE hadn’t really gone anywhere. So to then dismiss them and give us a lead of 197 going into our second innings really helped us.”

The former English county cricketer said his team had handled the pressure well. “There’s a little bit of pressure when you know you have to bowl the opposition out for under your score, because in this competition, you get points for first innings leads, so that was a bit of pressure there. But I said to the guys to just stick to the process that was applied so well the day before, and the result will come – it’s just a case of being patient and being able to stick in there.”

Anshuman Rath was delighted with his four-for-34 on debut for Hong Kong. “The wicket was turning quite a bit, and that does help me as a spinner. I am just glad that I can contribute in a big way to the team.”

“I was having a chat to Simon Cook as to what we should do to get those batsmen out. They looked quite comfortable. So we the simple things well – we bogged them down, we tried to get as many dot balls as possible and make them make a mistake, and that is what happened. Both of them fell under the pressure.”

The final day of the four-day, first class ICC Intercontinental Cup match is Saturday, at 0930 local time at ICC Academy 1, Dubai, UAE, with the host chasing 377 runs for victory.

Captain Tanwir Afzal Stars With a Century and Two Wickets

Tanwir Afzal stars to put Hong Kong in the driver’s seat as he joined Babar Hayat with a century, before claiming two wickets as Hong Kong lead host UAE by 296 runs with two days’ play remaining in ICC Intercontinental Cup match.

Despite having to wait impatiently overnight for his maiden first class century, Hong Kong’s skipper Tanwir Afzal showed no signs of nerves as Wednesday’s dust and heat gave way to rain and an unfamiliar coolness, Tanwir displayed enormous calm in his first four-day match as captain, returning to the crease a dangerous 10 runs short of the historic milestone. The skipper selectively struck the ball before charging a Raja Adeel delivery and smashing it over the boundary rope to bring up his century, and the second for Hong Kong in two days.

When the skipper was dismissed two overs later for 104, Hong Kong had 330 runs on the scoreboard for the loss of seven wickets. The skipper had shared a 47-run partnership with debutant Aizaz Khan, who led a tail-end mission to add as many runs to the board as possible, with a measured 16. Ehsan Nawaz contributed 14 and number 11 Nadeem Ahmed struck 29 before lofting the ball to be caught at long-on and ending the Hong Kong innings at 378 all out just after lunch.

After lunch and a brief rain delay, Hong Kong’s bowling attack throttled the host’s batsmen, with Tanwir leading the way, claiming two quick scalps of Asif Iqbal (8) and Laxman Sreekumar (0) within 12 overs. The bowlers continued to pile on the pressure, with debutant Aizaz Khan and Ehsan Nawaz each picking up a wicket to help restrict the UAE to 82 runs in 54 overs, and a miserly run rate of only 1.51.

Skipper and centurion Tanwir was delighted with his knock, but was quick to point out that team performance is more important than that of an individual. “It’s quite good for me, but forget my performance, it’s about team performance. And so far, the team is doing well so I am so happy, and I am looking forward to the next two days.”

Having battled heat, dust, rain and wind in the first two days, the captain said the youth of his side was one of the keys to the team’s performance. “I think we are quite lucky that we have young players, they are quite energetic and they have so much hunger. So it is really helpful, because they love to play cricket. That energy really helps us.”

He continued: “On Middle East pitches, tosses really matter, so we are very lucky that we won the toss. The UAE team are quite experienced guys in this format, and this is just our second game, so the guys have shown up really well so far.”

The captain had a surprising summary of the changeable climate conditions. “I’ve not really played in such changing conditions before. It was quite good for us weather-wise for us when we started bowling, with the cloudy weather helping seam bowlers. We have four seam bowlers, so this kind of weather actually helped up.”

Reflecting on the first two days of the match, coach Simon Cook said: “Having any sort of lead is good, and a lead of nearly 300 is excellent. We probably would have liked a few more wickets. I thought the way our bowlers stuck to their task today out of the field, taking four wickets, only going just over 1.5 runs an over, was an outstanding over on that wicket, and what we’ve got to do is make sure we capitalise on that pressure tomorrow morning and not let them off the hook.”

The coach was delighted by the way his young charges were adapting to the longer format of the game: “There’s still a bit of work to be done but showing the guys how they can bat for 120 overs is outstanding. Two centurions – brilliant. A great platform up front with Kinchit and Babar, and then also to be able to bowl with control but also with purpose throughout the 50 overs today has been outstanding. The weather has been another first for me. Dust storms yesterday and now rain in Dubai! It’s been more like an English summer’s day here, with the constant on and off, and having to stop and start. The guys have stuck at it really well and switch on when they need to.”

Twenty-two-year-old debutant and first time wicket-taker Aizaz Khan was delighted with his maiden wicket wearing national colours: “It feels really good. It’s my first game and my first wicket for Hong Kong in first class cricket. The weather was really hot yesterday, and then today with the rain, it was really good to bowl in. With the overcast conditions, the ball was doing a bit, so it was good. We are in a really good position after day two, we’re 296 runs in front. Hopefully we start again tomorrow and get a few wickets early on.”

Play continues on Friday at 0930 local time at ICC Academy 1, Dubai, UAE.